Stuart Kassan, MD, MACR
My father was a rheumatologist as well as my idol growing up. I thought if somebody loves medicine or anything as much as he did, I want a piece of that. Inspired by my father’s work, I have been a rheumatologist for over 35 years. I love how rheumatology is really like a puzzle that you piece together with your patients to come out with a diagnosis. Through listening and spending time with your patients, you become such an integral part of their lives for many years. They tell you things they don’t tell anyone else. It is something so sacred to me.
Since I first started in rheumatology, medicine has come so far. We’ve seen tremendous growth and changes in the field thanks to the amazing community of rheumatology professionals. When biologics came to the scene in 2000, they changed the lives of both patients and rheumatologists. While there’s still no cure, these advancements brought so many new options for treating rheumatic diseases that previously did not exist. It’s exciting to imagine how much further we’ll progress thanks to the investigators, clinicians and other rheumatology professionals funded by the Rheumatology Research Foundation.
I support the Foundation because I believe giving back to the rheumatology community is just as important as the work we do. Just as my father passed his legacy and passion for medicine onto me, I want to pass this knowledge and experience to my kids and future rheumatologists.
